KITTENS

FUN STUFF

EXTRAS

Cat Cerebellar Hypoplasia

Cat cerebellar hypoplasia is a disease that's not very well known about. The cat's cerebellum, which is the part of the brain that controls movement and co-ordination, is damaged.

This can happen for various reasons. Sometimes the cerebellum doesn't develop properly in the fetus, so the kitten is born with the disease. It can also be caused by infection, malnutrition and poisoning.

Cats with this disease display jerky, un-coordinated movements and tremors. They usually have difficulty walking. Despite this, they aren't in pain, and are able to live happy, quality lives - and the disease doesn't affect their lifespan.

Because the disease isn't well understood, some kittens and cats with it get destroyed. People mistakenly think that the cat is in pain and has a poor quality of life. This isn't the case - as long as allowances are made for the cat's disability, there's no reason why he can't have a great life.

The video below features adorable Charley, who has the disease. The video speaks for itself...